Illinois lawmakers approved a measure that allows a one-year extension of the date by which the Illinois Power Agency is required to deliver renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind and solar projects acquired through long-term contracts. The bill sets a June 1, 2022 deadline for the agency to begin supplying credits. Current law directs…
Duke Energy Indiana LLC issued a proposal for its 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) calling for 2,840 megawatts of new natural gas capacity, 700 megawatts of wind and 1,650 megawatts of solar power, while accelerating the retirement of over 4 gigawatts of coal generation capacity over the next 7 to 19 years, according to a June…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities on June 25 approved 20-year contracts between Hydro-Québec and the state’s electric distribution companies Unitil Corp., National Grid plc, and Eversource Energy to acquire Canadian hydropower to help the state achieve its clean energy goals. The power will be delivered into New England over a $1 billion transmission line…
The Illinois Pollution Control Board issued an amended decision directing Vistra Energy to retire 2 gigawatts of coal generation by the end of the year to comply with new emission caps, according to a June 20 order. Democratic Governor Jay Pritzker’s administration made changes to the Multi-Pollutant Standard or MPS, the state’s signature air pollution regulation,…
The Southwest Power Pool Inc., the grid operator for 14 states in the central U.S., unveiled a proposal for a Western Energy Imbalance Service market designed to balance generation and load regionally and in real time. The market aims to create opportunities for participants to utilize diverse generating resources, optimize their use of the transmission…
The Missouri Public Service Commission granted permits for The Empire District Electric Company’s proposal to build three wind farms with a combined capacity of up to 600 megawatts in Missouri and Kansas, according to a June 20 press release. The projects, which represent an investment of over $1 billion, will facilitate customer savings by using…
A coalition of environmental groups and citizens led by Wild Virginia Inc. filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 21, alleging that Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC has been repeatedly violating federal and state requirements throughout the work on its natural gas pipeline project. Petitioners pointed to continued construction even after authorizations…
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities will host the first meeting on June 26 for working groups tasked with discussing measures that promote and protect consumer interests in the retail electric competitive supply market, according to a June 14 memorandum. The regulator issued an order on Jan. 23 opening the investigation, which will discuss measures including…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities selected Denmark-based Orsted A/S to develop a 1.1 gigawatt wind project, known as Ocean Wind, off the coast of Atlantic City, according to a June 21 press release. The project, which marks the first step towards meeting the state’s 3.5-gigawatt goal by 2030, is estimated to generate $1.17…
The New York Public Service Commission has flagged four energy service companies (ESCOs) over their failure to submit annual compliance filings under Unifrom Business Practices, according to June 14 notices. Bluesource Energy LLC failed to submit the yearly statement (January 31 Statement) that the information and attachments contained in the ESCO’s Retail Access Application Form and…
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources said they may not take final action on Enbridge Inc.’s permit applications for its Line 3 replacement project until the deficiency in the environmental review of the proposed oil pipeline is addressed, according to a June 18 news release. The announcement follows a recent ruling…
Maine state lawmakers approved a measure on June 18 that expands opportunities to invest in solar power, most notably by lifting the nine-person limit on the number of customers who can participate in a community solar farm. The legislation also calls for the procurement of 375 megawatts of distributed generation through competitive solicitation over the…